Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, is the counterbalance to Ostara. Once again, night and day are equal. Yet, after tonight, the seesaw tips toward more than day.

The time of second harvest, Mabon's another time to gather the fruits of one labor and to cut away what is no longer necessary. It's a time to reflect on what fell out of balance to move into the dark portion of the year. A ritual preformed with a small scale-where you write what's gotten out of balance and place it on the other-will guide you. http://www.witchskel.com/mabon.html

The Autumn Equinox is also known as the Witches' Thanksgiving. On the November holiday, you often travel to spend time with your family. Today, spend the day with the family you've crated out of friends, colleagues, neighbors, and loved ones. Throw a potluck feast. Celebrate outside if weather permits. Take a moment to remember those who who lost through the year, those who were harvested. Give thanks for all that is good in your life, and take a few minutes to share your gratitude with those gathered.Cerridwen Iris Shea -Llewellyn's Date Book 2010http://cerridwenscottage.com/

Order in the next 5 days, and you can instantly download this 96-page pdf edition for only $5.95.

A short descripition:Sharing our stories is one of our most empowering gifts. In this issue, we have gathered stories of renewal, recovery, and recovery that we hope will brings those qualities to you, our beloved readers.

Have you ever walked a labyrinth? Jen McConnell finds wisdom — and challenge — in "Walking a Spiral Path." Finding community in a yearly gathering, Jamie Martinez Wood shares her joyous journey of renewal and rebirth in "The Healing Cloak of Womanhood."

Sometimes, what we need for our own renewal is simply a place that is solely our own. Writer Clara Oropeza dedicates a tiny shed to her writing, and shares her experience in "At Hestia's Hearth." Deborah Baudin finds her own voice at last in her story, "Switching Tracks," while Freya Velander puts her terrifying dreams to rest when she travels to her ancestor’s homeland in "Safe in Freya's Arms."

Although most of these stories are gentle, this issue's goddess is anything but meek and mild. Diana Paxson examines the mythology, ritual, and presence of the often-terrifying Hindu goddess in "Kali Ma: Dancing in the Dark."

Our regular columnists bring their own healing voices to this issue: herbalist Susun Weed teaches us to welcome fairies; Alison Leigh Lilly describes her child-free life and how she midwives the lives of others; Janet Callahan describes how mothering her medically-fragile children requires her to be open to change in her family's lives.

When Donna Henes needed catharsis one summer a decade ago, she found herself on the beach in a Summer Solstice ritual to Yemaya, while Lizann Bassham spins a story of how encounters with rattlesnakes have informed her journey into Cronehood and Anne Hill offers a cautionary tale of how healing can bring unexpected (even traumatic) life changes.

Plus goddess-poetry, reviews of books, music, and oracle decks, and the wonderful voices of our readers in our "readers write" department, the Rattle. We end with a meditation on a healing move from the busy city to a remote country farmstead by Liz Bohm. What a lovely, healing, magical issue! BBI Media

Over the course of the last several decades, the Neo-Pagan movement has grown and changed dramatically. Where have we been and, more importantly, where are we headed? In this Magick Moment discussion with Publisher Anne Newkirk-Niven (Sage Woman, Witches & Pagans, and Crone Magazine as well as PaganSquare.com) we get to learn from Anne's unique position and history within the Pagan Community.

Ann Moura (born August 20[1] 1947[2]) is an author of books about magic, religion and Neo-Paganism.[3] She calls her witchcraft tradition Green Witchcraft,[4] and has written several books about it.[3] Her public Craft name is Aoumiel.[5]Ann Moura has been a solitary practitioner of Green Witchcraft for over forty-five years. According to Moura, her mother and grandmother practiced witchcraft, which makes her ahereditary witch.[3] Her mother and grandmother were Brazilians of Spanish descent, and Ann Moura considers their tradition Celtic-Iberian.[4] Unlike them, Moura doesn't include names of Christiansaints to her witchcraft practice. Instead, she uses names of Pagandeities because she believes that the family's witchcraft tradition was originally Pagan.[3]The death of Moura's mother prompted her to write about Green Witchcraft. She wanted to pass along the things she had learned from her mother and grandmother. Her mother and grandmother passed down information as matters came up rather than as a complete, formal education. Moura was worried that the knowledge moving from one generation to the next was getting slimmer.[3][6] Green Witchcraft as presented by Moura also contains information discovered by Moura herself.[6]Moura holds both Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in history.[2][7] She is a certified Archivist, and has been a NavyLieutenant and a high school history teacher.[2] She runs her own metaphysical store.[7] She is married, and has two children. She lives in Florida.[2]

I am so pleased to announce I have completed the first draft of my manuscript A Seeker's Quest - a guide to working witchy magick and preparing the submission letter to send to the Acquisition Editor for publication.

A Seeker's Quest is possibly the closest a reader will come to viewing my personal 'Book of Shadows'. A Book of Shadows or grimoire, is a handwritten collection of Witch's rites and practices that have been collected.

I like to sit under an oak tree that is at least 50 years old to take a moment and remember every step it took me to bring the book to reality.

I walk across the hay fields toward the oak tree in a remote part of the family farm to request the most benevolent outcome for my book 'A Seeker's Quest' - a guide to working witchy magick.

This is a request I say to my Spirit Guide for a desired outcome, and then I thank my Guide for their support. I have asked for benevolent outcomes for each of the three books with signed contracts, so I know it works.

Start requesting benevolent outcomes and experience situations going better than you can expect.

"May I have the most benevolent outcome for__________________, thank you."

It is my pleasure to announce the Summer Solstice 2014 issue of the Global Goddess Oracle ezine is ready for viewing. Go to http://globalgoddess.org and select The Oracle tab at the top of the page and then select the Summer Solstice 2014 from the menu on the left.This issue is full of articles, poems and rituals. We hope you enjoy the new issue of The Oracle. We would appreciate feedback and welcome your comments.

I will be awarding a Bronze Tone charm bracelet with a pentagram charm and witch riding a broom to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, a second prize of a key chain with pentagram and witch riding a broom to another randomly drawn commenter and a third prize of a free copy of Severed Ties will be awarded to another randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

A key chain with three charms attached – a pentagram, a broom and witch riding a broom – will be awarded to a randomly drawn host. (Canada, U.S.A. and the United Kingdom)

Stop by the tour stops below to enter Severed Ties Blurb Blitz for your chance to win. Winners will be notified via email.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

I am taking part in Fae Books Facebook 'likes' Giveaway. The giveaway will run two calendar months from 8th April 2014 to 10th June 2014. I'm giving away a bracelet and pagan charm (like the one on the front cover of Severed Ties), as well as an autographed personal message, print copy of my upcoming release At the Edge. Stop by to enter many wonderful giveaways from some amazing authors.

Upcoming release At The Edge - a dark fiction story with a message to help people get to a better place. #FaeGiveaway #GIVEAWAY! Enter the Fae Books 8K Likes Giveaway! Lots of #prizes to #win from lots of #authors & #bloggers! Enter here: http://shar.es/BVfQn Good luck! ~

SEVERED TIESIn the beginning by the light of the Full Moon Frankie connects with Candice's energy through dream time and witnesses her involvement in a terrifying act of violence. After receiving information from Sandra that their childhood friend is missing they pack their bags and then head to the inner city to find her.

Frankie, afraid for her own safety has a chance encounter with a local named Calvin who is plugged into what's happening. Using his workable ideas as well as Frankie and Sandra consulting tarot, ordinary playing cards, astrology, and spell-casting, they set forth to free Candice from the dangerous situation she is in.

A new book that has just been released which is titled Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness Are the Keys to Understanding the Nature of the Universe has caused quite a stir all across the Internet, due to the fact that its subject matter is completely about the idea of life continuing on after death and going on forever. The author of the book is scientist Dr. Robert Lanza and he has been called the third most significant science researcher alive today by the New York Times.

Lanza is considered to be one of the top professionals in the world in regard to regenerative medication and works as a scientist on cell technology. Before this, Dr. Lanza was known for widespread research in which he studied stem cells. He is also known for performing numerous cloning experiments on endangered animals.

However, he decided to get involved with quantum mechanics and astrophysics. Such a combination has given rise to the theory of biocentrism. That is the idea that states both consciousness and life itself are essential to the universe. It is consciousness which has created the physical universe and not the opposite way around as has been believed, according to Lanza.

He states that the entire assembly of the universe, and the constants, forces and even laws of the universe seem to be set up for life, suggesting that some sort of intelligence occurred before any matter was created. He also states that time and space are not things or items, but are instead just tools to help individuals understand the world around them. Lanza explained that people hold time and space close similar to how turtles carry their shells. But when people throw off their shells (time and space disappear) people still live.

Lanza is also a believer of multiple universes. He thinks that even though a person might pass away in one universe, but in another, it can still be alive and well and continues to exist. This idea means that someone who has died would go not to heaven or hell but end up in a world that was similar to the one that he or she once before had lived in but is now again alive. This continues onward indefinitely.

This very controversial theory that is held by Dr. Lanza actually has many supporters and not just plain mortals who are terrified of death, but also some other very well-known scientists as well. These are both physicists and also astrophysicists who happen to say that the presence of parallel worlds and the prospect of multiple universes is a possible concept. The idea of the multiverse or multi-universe is actually a real scientific concept, which many researchers defend. They state that there are no physical laws in existence that disallow any presence of there being the possibility of parallel worlds.

Dr. Hugh Everett, who worked at Princeton University, stated that at any time the universe can divide into any number of endless parallel instances. The very next moment, these brand-new universes split into yet another branch.. In some of these worlds a person might be watching television, in others he or she could be reading a book or even in others that person may not even exist.

What causes the triggers for such universes are peoples own actions. When certain choices are made, in an instant one universe divides into two that have two various outcomes. It is believed that space has many different orbs that allow the rise to similar orbs, and these make even more orbs, and so it goes on and on to infinity. Throughout the universe, they are apart, never knowing of each other but they all signify parts of the very same universe from which they came.

There is data that shows the universe is not alone. Using information from deep space telescopes, scientists have produced an extremely accurate map of microwave backgrounds. These are considered cosmic relics that have stayed around since the beginning of the birth of the universe. They have also discovered the universe contains much dark matter that is represented by gaps and black holes.

With this, many scientists now think there are many places that the soul could go to after death, when studying the idea of neo-biocentrism. Yet this is if one believes the soul actually exists. The scientist Dr. Stuart Hameroff, who is a near-death expert, offers a different description of consciousness that can perhaps appeal to rational scientific minds and also personal clairvoyance.

Hameroff believes that consciousness resides inside microtubules of the brain. These are the main areas of quantum processing. When death occurs, this information is released out of a person’s body, therefore meaning a consciousness is let go as well. Consciousness is believed by these scientists to be an important property of the universe that was present back at the beginning of the universe when the Big Bang occurred.

If such were to be true, then all souls were made from the very fabric of the universe and have existed since the starting of time itself. Human brains would be considered only receivers and amplifiers for the consciousness that is floating around in space and time.

Such accounts of quantum consciousness might start to explain such occurrences such as out of body experiences, near-death experiences, astral projection and possibly reincarnation without the need to bend to any religious philosophy. The energy of consciousness could possibly be recycled over and over into a new body at some time. While it waited, it could stay out of any physical body on some other kind of reality, and even in some kind of other sort of universe.

All these ideas have come to pass due to the new book Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness Are the Keys to Understanding the Nature of the Universe which has caused quite a stir all across the Internet, due to the fact that its subject matter is completely about the idea of life continuing on after death and going on forever. The author of the book, scientist Dr. Robert Lanza, has been called the third most significant science researcher alive today by the New York Times.

"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it." Winston Churchill

Author

Knowledge is Power:The more we have "to know" the more that can be known. The reader who wants to further their knowledge of witchcraft and spiritualism in general, can consult the information I compiled on the topics.

Wiccans and Pagans have an animal companion that they consider their familiar. A familiar is part of the family. A familiar is often defined as an animal with whom we have a magical connection. If an animal has appeared in your life unexpectedly -- such as a stray cat that appears regularly, for instance -- it's possible that the animal may have been drawn to you magickally!